Edge grinding machine for glass plates or the like



March 16, 1954 w, REASER A 2,671,992

EDGE GRINDING MACHINE FOR GLASS- PLATES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 26, 1952 V 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. W////am A. fiqaser Elmer A. Z/ems ATTORNEYS W. A. REASER ET AL March 16, 1954 I EDGE GRINDING MACHINE FOR GLASS PLATES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 26, 1952 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTOR.

Wl/lmm A. figaser Elmer 14.21 ems M ta/aw .qrramvers G O O O G O O O O O O O O O March 16, 1954 w, REASER ETAL I 2,671,992

EDGE GRINDING MACHINE FOR GLASS PLATES OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 2a, 1952 INVENTOR. WIN/am A. kgaser y Elmer H.21ems erroswsvs March 16, 1954 w. A. REASER ETAL 2,671,992

EDGE GRINDING MACHINE FOR GLASS PLATES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 26, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORF VI/ll/mm A. ffeaser BY Elmer A. 216/775 ATTORNEYS March 16, 1954 w, REASER ETAL 2,671,992

EDGE GRINDING MACHINE FOR GLASS PLATES OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 26, 1952 MOTOR REDUCER ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDGE GRINDING MACHINE FOR GLASS PLATES OR THE LIKE Application August 26, 1952, Serial No. 306,442

Claims. (Cl. 5180) sion in a machine of this character, of improved means for feeding the glass plates to and between the edge grinding units whereby the plates will be continuously and uniformly fed during the edge grinding operation, except when undue resistance to such feeding is encountered.

A further object is the provision of a simple and efl'icient carrying means for the separate grinding units whereby each unit is capable of being easily and quickly moved from operative to inoperative positions to permit repair or replacement of its parts and also to render the unit inoperative when desired.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the accompanying drawings illustrating embodiments thereof, in which stance, is confined to the right hand unit (Fig. 3). This unit is guided for movement on supporting rails or tracks on the frame top and the move ment is effected by the turning of a shaft 2 mounted lengthwise of the frame beneath the unit B and having pinions 3 in mesh with rack-bars i on the unit bottom. An adjusting worm 5 is mounted transversely in the frame I and has meshing engagement with a worm wheel 6 on the shaft. A hand wheel 1 is carried by the shaft 2 at one side of the frame to facilitate turning.

Each unit A, B, comprises a frame In extending lengthwise of the machine and, in the present instance, divided for a portion of its length into a plurality of compartments ll (here shown as 3) separated by vertical partitions l2. The inner side of each compartment is closed at its bottom portion by a plate l3 and at its top portion by a plate It (Figs. 2 and 3) with a space l5 therebetween extending lengthwise of the unit.

In the upper portion of each compartment H is mounted an electric motor I6 with its armature shaft vertical and carrying at its lower end a grinding. wheel I1 for engaging and grinding Fig. l is a top plan View of a machine embodying the invention, with parts broken away and parts removed;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away; Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the machine on the line 33 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is fragmentary detail of the feed belt driving means taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail illustrating the manner of firmly gripping a workplate between opposing feed belts;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 in Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is an enlarged section on the line 5-? in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end view of a modified form of the machine, with parts broken away, wherein the workplate is fed in upright position between vertically spaced edge grinding units. Referring to the drawings, designates the base frame of the machine on the top of which, for relative adjustment toward and away from each other, are mounted two plate edge grinding units A and B. While either or both of these units may be mounted for transverse adjustment on the frame base to vary the width of the space therebetween to suit the width of the work-plate being edge ground, the adjustment, in the present inthe respective edge of a work-plate la in the registering space as the plate is fed through the machine between opposing sets of grinding wheels. The wheels [1 are customarily provided with peripheral grooves for receiving and imparting the desired formation to plate edges.

Each motor [6 is mounted on a gate member forming part of the outer wall of each compartment l I, and it and its grinding wheel are swing able outwardly therewith, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, to facilitate removal or repair. The gates 20 have suitable catch engagement with a registering part of a frame [0.

The work-plate feeding means comprises a pair of upper and lower, or opposed, belts 22 and 23 associated with each grinding unit to grip the opposed surfaces of a work-plate l8 adjacent to the respective edges thereof, thus effecting a top and bottom surface frictional grip of the feed means on a work-plate. It is found in practice that this is necessary in order to obtain a proper feeding at constant speed of work pieces. Otherwise the feeding of long heavy plates may be stopped entirely or be of intermittent character. In either case, uniform edge grinding is not obtained.

The inner runs of each belt set are in adjacent parallel relation with a space therebetween substantially equal to the work-plate thickness; and each belt is guided at its rear or feed-in end by respective pulleys 24 and 25 and at its forward end by respective drive pulleys 26 and 21. The pulleys 24 and 25 are idlers and each set is carried by stub shafts projecting from respective portions of the unit frames Iii, while the pulleys 2G and 2'! are mounted on respective drive shafts 28 and 29 at the forward end of the machine.

The shafts E8 and 28 are mounted in the base frame I transversely thereof and each has axial sliding and driving engagement with its respective pulley, with the pulleys anchored to the forward end of the respective frame unit ii) through a bracket 39 (Fig. 1) to have transverse adjustment therewith in the event of its adjustment; The shafts 28 and 253 are connected by a set of spur gears 31 (Fig. 4) to be driven at equal speeds, and the lower shaft 29 is driven from a motor 3'. through a suitable reduction gearing in a housing 33 and through a chain-and-sprocket connection at.

The outer or free runs of the feed belts 22. and 23 are engaged by slack takeup idler pulleys 35 at one end and a pair of such pulleys 35 at the other end, the latter being carried by rockable adjustable cross-arms 3? to facilitate tension adjustment, as shown in 2.

The upper run of each lower belt is supported in substantially level or horizontal position by a train of idler rolls mounted on spindles projecting from the bottom plate of the respective grinding unit A, B. These rolls assist the belt runs in supporting the weight of a work-plate lit in its passage through the machine.

The desired work-plate holding pressure is exerted on the lower run of each upper belt 22 in opposition to the supporting pressure of the rolls 40 by a respective set of pressure rolls 4| in tandem arrangement lengthwise of the belt (Figs. 2 and 3). Each roll t! is carried by the short arm of an angle or bell crank lever 52 that is fulcrumed for rocking movements in vertical plane at 43 to the upper plate is of the respective grinding unit. The short roller carry ing arm of each lever projects forwardly, or in horizontal direction, from its fulcrum, while its long arm projects upward and is engaged by a pressure adjusting rod as on the respective grinding unit. This rod is common to all levers 42 of a set and is mounted lengthwise thereof in suitable bearings at the top portion of the respective mounting plate is. The rod is turned by engagement of a hand wheel 45 and is threaded through a nut at one end so that when turned it is adjusted axially relative to the plate I i. Each lever 42 of a set has forward engagement with a respective stop shoulder 45 on the rod and is engaged at its rear side by a coiled compression spring 4'8 which communicates a yielding downward pressure to its roll. It is thus apparent that a rearward adjustment of the rod 44 tends to raise the associated rolls 4: and relieve their pressure on the belt, while a forward adjustment thereof lowers the associated rolls and causes them to apply the desired plate gripping pressure on the lower run of the upper feed belt. The sets of pressure rolls are coextensive in length with the grinding area and preferably extend a short distance rearwardly and forwardly of such area.

A Work-plate it, as it is initially fed into the machine between the inner or adjacent runs of the belts 2'2 and 23, is engaged at its opposite edges in advance of the grinding units A and B by respective sets of edge pressure rolls 55 which center the feeding of the plate with respect to the grinding wheels i'i and also tend to hold the plate aligned with the engaging runs of the belt. The two sets of pressure rolls as are similar in mounting action and control to the pressure rolls 4| except that instead of acting on the top surface of a work-plate through the inner run of the top belt 22, they act directly against the respective side edges of the plate, as shown in Fig. 1. The levers 5i carrying the rolis are fulcrumed to frame members 52 extending rear ward from the frame iii of each grinding unit. An adjusting screw-control rod controls the action of each set of rolls 5:] the same as is done by the control means in the case of each set of rolls 4!.

In the operation of the machine, a work-plate I8 is fed between the two inner runs of the two belt sets 22 and 23 and in ide edge engagement with the centering pressure rolls ii tandem arrangement of each set of such rolls being of sufiicient length to effect a true centering of the plate with respect to the opposed grinding units before engagement of the plat y the grinding wheels of such units. The 1 e sets of pressure rolls acting throng inner runs of the two belts is and and workplate in opposition to the lower set of pressure rolls ii effect a firm gripping of the plate between the belt sets to prevent slippage of the plate between the belts during the grinding operation, thus eihciently maintaining a constant feed of the plates during grinding. In the pres ent instance, the grinding is effected between three sets of opposed grinding wheels El, and these wheels may be relatively adjusted so that a progressive grinding action is effected by the successive sets of wheels. It will, of course, be understood that before commenc ng a grinding operation the two grinding unit A and B are relatively adjusted to suit the width of the worl; plate It to be edge ground.

In the modification shown in 8, the arrangement and operation of the parts are substantially the same as that of the first-described machine except that the parts are positioned with the grinding units disposed one above the other, with the feed belts operating in horizontal instead of vertical planes with the work-plate fed between the feed belts with its surface planes vertically instead of horizontally disposed. In this form of the machine. 631' designates the work-plate, C D the work grinding units, hi the opposed grinding edge wheel, and 52 and 53 the feed belts of the two units. in this form, the drive shafts S5 for the belt driving pulleys are vertically disposed and connected at their lower ends by a of spur gears which cause a uniform driving of the two shafts. The drive for the shaft E5 is from the reduced gearing of a motor 63 through a belt and pulley connection to a shaft 6 5 which has driving engage ent with the shaft through a pair of bevel gears 55. The units C and P are gibbed to a guiding upright ii of the machine frame and both are adjustable vertically by a turning of a shaft i2 having right hand thread enga ement with one unit and left hand thread engagement with the other. A hand control shaft 73 is journaled the upright ll has bevel gear connection with the screw shaft 32.

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrang ment or form of the parts, as it is of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a, machine of the class described, two transversely opposed edge grinding units, means mounting said units for relative adjustment toward and away from each other to vary the space therebetween, a plurality of motor driven grinding wheels carried by each unit for progressive grinding of the respective edges of a workplate fed between the units, a set of opposed work-gripping belts carried by each unit and comprising inner work-gripping runs for feeding an engaged work-piece lengthwise between said units for edge grinding, guide means carried by each of said units for its feed belts, a set of axially stationary rolls carried by each unit for engaging a surface of one inner belt run adjacent to the respective edge of a workiece, a second set of rolls for engaging and applying pressure to the inner run of the other belt of each set to apply pressure in opposition to the pressure of said first rolls, means carrying each of said second rolls for rocking movements toward and away from its belt run, and a common means yieldingly acting on said last means to adjust the pressure of said yielding rolls against the belt run.

2. In a machine of the class described, a pair of opposed work-plate edge grinding units, means for feeding a work-plate between said units for edge grinding, and means in advance of each of said units for yieldingly engaging the side edges of a work-plate to center and guide its feeding movement to and between said grinding units, said last means comprising a set of edge pressure rolls in tandem arrangement for each unit, a support adjacent to'said rolls, a separate lever for each roll fulcrumed to said support whereby the carried roll may be moved toward and away from a plate edge, and means yieldingly connected to each of the levers in a set and adjustable to apply a. yielding pressure through the levers to said rolls to vary the work edge engaging pressure of the rolls.

3. In a machine of the class described, two opposed grinding units each comprising a frame separated by partitions into compartments arranged lengthwise of the space between the units, a motor and grinding wheel driven thereby disposed in each compartment with the grinding wheel positioned to engage the respective edge of a work-plate fed lengthwise between the units, a gate pivoted to the outer side of each unit for inward and outward swinging movements relative thereto and carrying the respective motor and its grinding wheel whereby they may be swung into and out of operative grinding relation to a workplate when fed through the machine, and means for feeding work-plates in successive order lengthwise through the space between said units.

4. In a machine of the class described, a pair of opposed edge grinding wheels, means for driving said wheels, and means for frictionally feeding a work-plate to and between said wheels in opposed edge grinding engagement therewith, said feeding means comprising opposed feed belts having irmer runs in feeding engagement with the respective side surfaces of a work-plate being fed, a tandem set of pressure rolls acting on the inner run of one feed belt to frictionally hold it to a work-plate to effect a feeding thereof, adjustable means for effecting a predetermined yielding pressure of said rolls on the co- 5 acting belt run, a set of pressure rolls acting on the inner run of the other feed belt to oppose the pressure of said first set of rolls and cooperating therewith to effect a firm gripping of the work-plate by said opposing belt run, said ad- 10 justing means for said first set of pressure rolls comprising a separate carrying lever for each roll fulcrumed to permit movement of its roll toward and away from the engaged belt run, and a -rod mounted lengthwise of said first pressure roll set for rotation about its axis, means causing axial movement of the rod when rotated, and a spring connection between said rod and an arm of each lever to apply yielding work-plate gripping pressure to the engaged belt run.

5. In a machine of the class described, a pair of opposed edge grinding wheels, means for driving said wheels, and means for frictionally feeding a work-plate to and between said wheels in opposed edge grinding engagement therewith, 5 said feeding means comprising opposed feed belts having inner runs in feeding engagement with the respective side surfaces of a work-plate being fed, a tandem set of pressure rolls acting on the inner run of one feed belt to frictionally hold it to a work-plate to effect a feeding thereof, adjustable means for effecting a predetermined yielding pressure of said rolls on the coacting belt run, a set of pressure rolls acting on the inner run of the other feed belt to oppose the pressure of said first set of rolls and cooperating therewith to effect a firm gripping of the workplate by said opposing belt run, said adjusting means for said first set of pressure rolls comprising an angle lever for each roll of the set and each lever having a long and a short arm with its short arm carrying the roll, a stationary fulcrum for each lever, a support for said fulcrums, a control rod extending lengthwise of said first roll set and threaded to said support whereby the rod is axially moved when rotated, and a yielding connection between the long arm of each lever and said rod to apply a work-plate gripping pressure to each roll of said first set when said rod is adjusted in one direction.

WILLIAM A. REASER.

ELMER A. ZIEMS.

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